Chapter 6 — The Child They Wanted
Chapter 6 — The Child They Wanted
The photograph was still glowing on my phone.
Emma asleep.
Emma in the Moretti estate.
Emma breathing peacefully beneath a pale blue blanket.
And underneath her face:
THE REAL HEIR ISN'T EMMA.
My fingers went numb.
I looked across the room.
The real Emma was standing beside the fireplace, holding a red crayon.
She was staring at me.
“Mama?”
I couldn't answer.
Alessandro took the phone from my hand.
He studied the photograph.
His face became completely still.
“Matteo.”
“Yes?”
“Where are the cameras?”
“All active.”
“Then tell me how someone photographed this room.”
Matteo immediately reached for his radio.
“Security control, report.”
Static.
Then nothing.
He tried again.
“Security control, respond.”
Still nothing.
Alessandro looked toward the hallway.
“Lock every door.”
Within seconds, the mansion erupted into movement.
Footsteps.
Orders.
Doors closing.
Weapons being drawn.
Emma looked frightened.
Alessandro rolled toward her.
“Come here.”
She ran to him.
He pulled her close.
“It's okay.”
“Are bad men here?”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“Mama is scared.”
Alessandro looked at me.
“Yes.”
Then he whispered:
“But we're going to keep her safe.”
I stared at them.
A strange thought entered my mind.
Perhaps that was the first time Alessandro had said we and actually meant it.
The security room was chaos.
Six monitors had gone black.
Then four more.
Then the entire west wing disappeared from the surveillance grid.
Matteo slammed his hand against the console.
“Someone is inside the system.”
Alessandro stared at the screens.
“From outside?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
Matteo turned.
“Inside the estate.”
My stomach tightened.
“How many guards?”
“Twenty-two.”
“How many can access the security network?”
“Seven.”
“Find them.”
Matteo nodded.
Before he could move, a red warning appeared on the central screen.
PERIMETER BREACH.
Then another.
WEST WING BREACH.
Then:
NURSERY ACCESS.
I looked at Emma.
She wasn't in the nursery.
But someone thought she was.
Alessandro understood immediately.
“They're creating a diversion.”
Matteo grabbed his weapon.
“Where?”
“Library.”
“What?”
“They want us to believe they're after Emma.”
Alessandro looked at me.
“Stay here.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Anna.”
“If they're using Emma to distract us, I'm not staying behind.”
He stared at me.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Matteo looked at him.
“Boss—”
“She stays with me.”
We reached the library.
The door was open.
The room was empty.
Then I saw it.
Emma's yellow sweater.
It was lying on the floor.
My heart stopped.
“Emma!”
I ran forward.
Alessandro grabbed my wrist.
“Wait.”
I froze.
He pointed downward.
A thin wire stretched across the floor.
A trap.
Matteo carefully disabled it.
Alessandro looked at the sweater.
“That's not hers.”
I frowned.
“It looks exactly like hers.”
“Exactly.”
He looked toward the shelves.
“Someone made a copy.”
My blood turned cold.
“They know what she wears.”
“Yes.”
“They've been watching her.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
Alessandro didn't answer.
A soft sound came from behind the bookshelf.
A child's laugh.
I spun around.
“Emma?”
No answer.
Then another laugh.
I moved toward the sound.
Alessandro stopped me.
“It's a recording.”
I listened.
The laugh played again.
Emma's laugh.
Perfect.
Someone had recorded my daughter.
Someone had been close enough to her to do it.
My stomach twisted.
Then the lights went out.
A man's voice came from the darkness.
“Good evening, Anna.”
I grabbed Alessandro's arm.
His voice was cold.
“Show yourself.”
A speaker crackled.
“You still don't understand.”
“Understand what?”
“Why Emma was born.”
I felt my heart pound.
The voice continued.
“She was never supposed to be a child.”
Silence.
“She was supposed to be an asset.”
Alessandro's jaw tightened.
“Who are you?”
“You know me.”
The speaker clicked off.
Then every door in the library locked.
Matteo moved toward the nearest exit.
“Electronic override.”
Alessandro looked at him.
“Can you open it?”
“Not from here.”
A red light appeared on the wall.
Then a countdown.
05:00
I stared.
“What is that?”
Matteo's expression changed.
“Gas system.”
Alessandro looked at me.
“Get down.”
The first vent opened.
A faint white vapor began filling the room.
Matteo smashed the emergency panel.
Nothing.
“It's sealed.”
Alessandro looked around.
“Windows?”
“Bulletproof.”
I grabbed Emma's sweater.
“What do we do?”
He looked at me.
“There's a maintenance passage behind the fireplace.”
“Can we reach it?”
“Yes.”
“But the door is locked.”
Alessandro moved toward the fireplace.
He reached beneath the wooden trim.
Pressed something.
A hidden panel opened.
Matteo stared.
“You knew about that?”
“I own the house.”
“Right.”
We crawled through.
The passage was narrow.
Dark.
And terrifyingly cold.
I pulled Emma's sweater against my chest.
Alessandro followed behind me.
Then the passage door slammed shut.
We were trapped.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Emma's voice came through my earpiece.
“Mama?”
I froze.
Alessandro froze.
I looked at Emma.
She was beside me.
But the voice came again.
“Mama, help me.”
I stared at my daughter.
Her lips hadn't moved.
A recording.
Again.
“Mama…”
Then another voice whispered:
“Come find me.”
The speaker went silent.
Alessandro's eyes hardened.
“Someone wants you emotionally compromised.”
I whispered:
“They want me to run.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because they know you'll do anything for Emma.”
I looked at him.
“Wouldn't you?”
His eyes met mine.
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation.
We reached the underground garage.
Matteo opened the emergency gate.
The security team was waiting.
Alessandro looked around.
“Where's Mrs. Bell?”
No one answered.
I felt cold.
“She was with Emma.”
Alessandro's expression changed.
“Find her.”
A guard ran inside.
Seconds later, he returned.
“She's missing.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“She was in the east corridor.”
“Where is Emma?”
I turned.
Emma was gone.
I screamed.
“EMMA!”
The entire garage froze.
Alessandro's face went white.
“Lock the gates.”
Matteo shouted:
“Search every vehicle!”
I ran toward the mansion.
Alessandro followed.
“Anna!”
“Emma!”
I searched the nursery.
Empty.
The bedroom.
Empty.
The library.
Empty.
Then I heard a sound.
A toy rabbit's music.
I followed it.
Down the east hallway.
Behind a curtain.
There was a small door.
Open.
Inside was Emma's red crayon.
And nothing else.
I collapsed.
“No.”
Alessandro stopped behind me.
“Anna.”
“They took her.”
He looked at the floor.
There were tiny footprints.
But beside them were larger footprints.
A man's.
And another set.
A woman's.
Alessandro's face hardened.
“Two people.”
Matteo arrived.
“We found the breach.”
“Where?”
“Garage.”
“Vehicle?”
“One missing.”
“Which one?”
Matteo hesitated.
“The armored transport.”
Alessandro looked at me.
“Get me the footage.”
“We don't have footage.”
“Why?”
“The cameras were disabled.”
“Then find another way.”
Matteo nodded.
He turned.
Alessandro grabbed his arm.
“Matteo.”
“Yes?”
“Bring her back.”
Matteo looked at him.
“I will.”
Thirty minutes later, a phone rang.
Alessandro answered.
A man's voice said:
“Hello, Moretti.”
“Where is my daughter?”
“Your daughter?”
Alessandro's face became murderous.
“You know exactly who I mean.”
A laugh.
“The little girl?”
“Yes.”
“She is safe.”
“Put her on.”
A pause.
Then a tiny voice.
“Daddy?”
Alessandro closed his eyes.
“Emma.”
“Daddy, I'm scared.”
“I know.”
“There's a man.”
“Stay calm.”
“He says you have to give him something.”
“What?”
“He wants your house.”
The voice returned.
“Not the house.”
Alessandro's expression changed.
“Then what?”
“The trust.”
Silence.
“Give me control of the Moretti Trust.”
“No.”
“Then she dies.”
I grabbed the phone.
“Please!”
The man laughed.
“You understand.”
Alessandro took the phone back.
“You don't know what you're asking for.”
“I know exactly what I'm asking for.”
“You'll never control it.”
“I don't need to.”
“What?”
“I only need you to transfer it.”
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
The man laughed softly.
“Because once the transfer is complete, we'll know which child is the real heir.”
I froze.
“What?”
The voice continued.
“The DNA report was altered.”
Alessandro went completely still.
“By whom?”
“Ask your mother.”
The call ended.
I turned toward my mother.
She was standing in the doorway.
She looked devastated.
“Mom?”
She said nothing.
“Tell me the truth.”
She closed her eyes.
“The report was altered.”
I felt as if the floor had disappeared.
“Why?”
“Because they wanted you to believe Emma was the heir.”
Alessandro stared at her.
“Then who is?”
My mother looked at him.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
She began crying.
“The original embryo records were destroyed.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“But there was another child.”
My mother looked at him.
I stared.
“Another child?”
Daniel nodded.
“Before Emma.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you talking about?”
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
“Three years ago, the clinic created two embryos.”
Alessandro's face changed.
“One was Emma.”
“And the other?”
Daniel looked at me.
“The other was transferred into another woman.”
Silence.
“Who?”
He swallowed.
“We don't know.”
I felt dizzy.
“Then someone may have another child carrying the same genetic combination.”
Alessandro understood.
“That child could be the real heir.”
My mother whispered:
“Yes.”
The room went silent.
Then Matteo's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“We found the vehicle.”
“Where?”
“Twenty miles north.”
“And Emma?”
Matteo hesitated.
“There's no one inside.”
My blood turned cold.
“Then where is my daughter?”
“We found something else.”
He handed Alessandro a small plastic evidence bag.
Inside was Mr. Rabbit.
The toy was torn open.
A tiny memory card had been hidden inside.
Alessandro stared at it.
“Play it.”
Matteo inserted the card.
A video appeared.
Emma sat in a chair.
She was crying.
A man stood behind her.
His face was hidden.
Then a woman walked into the frame.
I recognized her immediately.
Margaret.
No.
Not Margaret.
My mother.
She looked directly into the camera.
And said:
“Anna, if you're watching this, I'm sorry.”
I stopped breathing.
She continued:
“Your daughter was never the target.”
A pause.
“The target was you.”
My mother looked toward Emma.
“And the people who took her don't want the Moretti fortune.”
She whispered:
“They want the woman who can legally unlock it.”
The video ended.
I turned toward her.
“Mom.”
She began to cry.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From whom?”
She couldn't answer.
Then someone behind us said:
“From me.”
Everyone turned.
Lorenzo Moretti stood in the doorway.
Alessandro raised his weapon.
His father smiled.
“Put it down.”
“No.”
Lorenzo looked at me.
“Your mother has been lying to you for twenty years.”
Then he looked at Alessandro.
“And you have been protecting the wrong woman.”
My blood ran cold.
“Where is Emma?”
Lorenzo smiled.
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“You'll find her.”
“When?”
“When you discover who her real father is.”
Alessandro moved toward him.
Lorenzo didn't flinch.
“You have until sunrise.”
“Or what?”
Lorenzo's smile disappeared.
“Your daughter becomes a bargaining chip no one will ever recover.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Alessandro stared after him.
I grabbed his arm.
“We have to find her.”
“We will.”
“How?”
He looked at me.
His eyes were no longer cold.
They were terrified.
“We start with the only person who knew where they were taking her.”
“Who?”
Alessandro looked toward my mother.
“She did.”
My mother closed her eyes.
Then whispered:
“There is one place they would take Emma.”
“Where?”
She looked at Alessandro.
“The house where your father hid the first heir.”
Alessandro's face changed.
“Where is it?”
My mother whispered the answer.
And Alessandro immediately ordered the cars.
Because the place she had named had been abandoned for twenty-five years.
May you like
And according to every official record in Chicago—
no one had ever lived there.
